Vol. 197 No. 7
andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Finance whether, in anticipation of the acceptance of Ireland as a full member of the EEC and in order to reduce the impact of tariff removal, he intends to make an all-round reduction of tariffs without delay; and, if so, when, and what percentage reduction is contemplated.
8.
asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government propose to cut customs duties on 1st January, 1963.
I propose, with your permission, Sir, to take Questions Nos. 6 and 8 together.
Particulars of the cut to be applied, as from 1st January, 1963, to protective tariffs on industrial products have been given in an official announcement issued yesterday evening to which I would refer the Deputies.
Am I correct in believing that the date mentioned in the official announcement is 1st January, 1963?
Yes, it will come into operation on 1st January next.
What is the probable source of the information available to Deputy N. T. Lemass when he formulated the question to ask the Minister for Finance whether the Government propose to cut customs duties on 1st January, 1963, and should that information——
The same information as the Deputy had.
An inspired question.
Is it not suspicious that one Deputy in the House should know this matter in advance? This question must have been put down not less than three days ago.
The Government's decision was not taken three days ago.
Might the Minister for Finance not regard it as alarming that one member of the Government Party should be in a position to forecast a decision which the Government had not yet taken?
The Government's decision was not known until yesterday.
Does it not strike the Minister as rather odd that one member of his Party should be in the rather remarkable position of being able to forecast a decision which the Government are going to take?
Deputy Dillon apparently does not read the newspapers.
What I am afraid of is that you have been reading something else.
The Deputy will always have the dirty suspicions.
What I am worried about was that a question was put on the Order Paper not less than three days ago forecasting a decision which should have been made known to the Oireachtas and the people first. The Taoiseach has said that at the time that question was put on the Order Paper, no Government decision had been reached. Is that not too much of a coincidence?
Does the Deputy imply that the Government's decision was made known in advance?
I imply that information reached a Deputy which should not have reached him before the announcement was made to the Oireachtas and to the people.
That is an absurd suggestion.
Is the Minister satisfied that there will be no unemployment as a result of this decision?
Quite satisfied.
Is the Minister in a position to tell us whether this ten per cent. reduction will apply to nonCommonwealth goods?
Yes; it applies to all.
If there is no question of unemployment resulting from this decision, why was it not taken long ago?
This is the opportune moment.
You are beginning to wake up.
